Talk to me about cranberry sauce

[Annwithnoe]

I've never bothered with cranberry sauce as it wasn't something we had growing up, but it's a significant part of Christmas for one of my guests this year.

Any good recipes? What makes a good sauce, or for that matter a bad one? Can I make this ahead?

M and s do a nice one, it's not something I grew up with or particularly like but fil likes to catch me out by asking me for random things. For years I did bread sauce and no one ever ate it, the one year I didn't bother as I was sick of throwing it away fil was traumatised it wasn't on the table on Xmas day

Delia Smiths cranberry and orange relish is easy to make. You can make it ahead in fact I have frozen it if there is some left after a few days.
https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/main-ingredient/cranberries/cranberry-and-orange-relish here]

This one is really easy. I swap some of the orange juice for port. Freezes well too, I usually make it a couple of weeks before Christmas and defrost on the day.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/8362/really-simple-cranberry-sauce

OMG I had the REAL STUFF made with berries, it's amazing.

I made it one year with real cranberries, port and a bit of orange. It was lovely but no one except me and my mum ate any of it so it was a bit of a waste!
Ditto with bread sauce and Jamie Oliver’s turkey gravy. Everyone preferred M&S gravy so that’s what we have every year now!!

i wing it

cranberries in pan, add some OJ and grated zest...heat until berries are popped, then a little white sugar, or maybe some honey and a lovely large glass of port and then reduce to a jammy consistency.

and it's bloody lovely smeared across the inside of a turkey and ham sandwich on boxing day, so make enough to have left overs.

I always do Nigellas redder than red cranberry sauce. As she would say, it’s the work of moments and I feel very virtuous!

I make the one that TwinkleTwinkle has posted.
I never pay full price for cranberries, in the next week or so they’ll always be some in the reduced section. I buy a couple of packets, make the sauce, then freeze it. On Christmas Day I heat it direct from frozen, it’s quite nice having it warm/hot. Much, much nicer than the stuff in jars.

My recipe just uses 150g sugar, 1/4 pint water, 200 g fresh cranberries, and sherry 'to taste'. I never add the sherry, prefer it without.

Keeps well, so you can make it a few days before. V nice with cold turkey, too.
Takes only fminutes to make. I haven't used the readymade stuff for years.

I use Nigella's recipe too. For us it's not Christmas dinner without cranberry sauce.

I'm with statue just berries in a pan with the juice of an orange and maybe some Cointreau or other liqueur and perhaps some sugar (depends on sweetness of alcohol) and probably a cinnamon stick and a squeeze of lemon - depends what's around, what recipes I've read, how I'm feeling. Important thing is to simmer until berries just pop and then it'll set nicely. It's worth making fresh as it's easy and better than shop bought. It keeps well too - keep a clean jar or two to put it in when it's cooked and have one for Christmas lunch and one on the fridge for leftovers

I always buy the cranberries a couple of weeks in advance & freeze them in case the shops run out before Christmas. Have never thought of making the sauce in advance & freezing it though

Thanks for all the really helpful suggestions and tips. I'll keep an eye out for special offers for the next week or two. LOL at your fil Buttwingsham!

I buy the M&S fresh cranberry sauce

It's dead easy to make, just pop( literally) in a saucepan with port sugar and orange juice, it's cooked when most of the berries have popped. A word of advice don't get the person who doesn't do sweet stuff to taste it. I did it to my taste one year and DH and DS said it was far too sharp

I made for the first time 2 years ago with cranberries, orange juice and white sugar and it was amazing really tasty sweet but tart too. I made last year and decided to make better with brown sugar, port etc and no one ate it, it was vile. Will be sticking to basic recipe this year.

Nigella Lawson's recipe, in her Christmas book.